Unexpected Meetings
by Arakune Yoru
Summary: Duo is a new student at University, where he meets Heero, a quiet and misterious guy. His attraction to Heero guides Duo to befriend him, but when he finds out what kind of life he has, he decides to help Heero somehow. Will Heero let him into his life?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own GW, as much as I'd like to U.U

Warnings: Yaoi, probably lemon later, sappyness. Don't like? Don't read! :P

Summary: This is my first attempt at a GW story n_n' please tell me what you think, ok? Thanks and enjoy!

Unexpected Meetings

by Arakune Yoru

Chapter 1

Duo walked through the corridors calmly, a confident stride opening an easy path for him. He was already on the third semester of the major, though he was a new student here – his father had got a new job, so they had decided to move to a more convenient and better located house. He'd had a rather difficult life when he was a child – thanks to his most-of-the-times old clothes and looks, he was often called offending names regarding his sexuality and social status. Now, he could change that, and he would: he would make a name of himself, get the degree and, somehow, help his family.

"Room 205-I….205-I…" He whispered as he looked around, looking the classroom where he was having his first lecture. He was a brilliant student, all his previous teachers said so, which was one of the main reasons why they had accepted a transfer student this far on the semester; his only problem was he didn't pay enough attention to his surroundings and found it difficult to find places or spot a person in a crowd. The only excuse he had this time was that, this time, the campus was huge "Hey, sorry man" He tapped a boy's shoulder lightly without looking up from the small piece of paper in his hand " I've been lookin' for room 205-I but I can't--" He looked up and saw the deepest of blue eyes staring back at him in boredom.

~That's gotta be the hottest guy you've seen lately, hmm?~

His mind supplied as he swallowed hard. _Bad, BAD Duo!_ He thought and cleared his throat, quieting the annoying voice whispering highly suggestive things in his ear "--but I can't find it" He finished and he offered a sheepish smile. The other young man didn't smile back, but he grunted in response.

"Advanced Calculus?" Came a nasal voice and Duo had to tear his eyes from the guy's full lips...it wouldn't be good to be called a fag on his first day at school because of ogling some guy with no name.

"Y-Yes, know where it is?" He asked again; the boy turned away from him and, for a second, Duo thought he would just ignore him

"I'm headed that way, want to follow me?" The guy called over his shoulder and Duo looked up. The violet eyes lit up and the boy smiled widely, nodding enthusiastically and running to catch up with the guy, his braid jumping after him. He fell into step with the other boy and held out his hand, offering the most charming smile he had in store.

"Thanks. I'm Duo, Duo Maxwell. What's your name?" The other guy looked at him briefly before he clasped the hand in a firm grip and almost whispered:

"My name is Heero Yui. It's a pleasure" And for the first time since his parents had told him they were coming to this city, he thought this change wouldn't be so bad.

~Not bad at all...~

TBC

So what do you think? :P good, not good? Review please! X)


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own GW, as much as I'd like to U.U

Warnings: Yaoi, probably lemon later, sappyness, 1x2x1. Don't like? Don't read! :P

Summary: This is my first attempt at a GW story n_n' please tell me what you think, ok? And I honestly mean it! Though no offensive remarks ¬_¬ only constructive criticism :) Thanks and enjoy!

Unexpected Meetings

by Arakune Yoru

Chapter 2

~Not bad at all...~

Duo walked beside Heero quietly, running his hand through his bangs in a nervous gesture. He thought the guy was gorgeous, but he had been left heart broken and often humiliated because the boys he liked were straight or they were already in a relationship, so he didn't want to risk it this time...besides, he needed time to study, not to hang around hot guys with whom he had no 'future', he just wanted a friend, a person he could talk to and to keep him company around the campus.

"Are you a new student?" He heard Heero's nasal voice ask and he turned his head slightly to look at him, not slowing his step.

"Yeah, is it that obvious?" He chuckled sheepishly and he hoped the blue eyed guy would laugh, but he kept his stare straight ahead as if watching something intently, even though the corridor was rather empty at this hour. Duo looked ahead once again and sighed inwardly, his smile never fading though he wasn't that encouraged any more...he thought it would be better now that he had kind of met someone interesting, but apparently trying to befriend this guy was not going to be as easy as he thought.

"Not really...newbies are given a 'tour' before they actually come to class" Duo's eyes widened slightly and, for one second, Heero thought he wasn't expecting and answer. The braided boy then smiled nervously and nodded, toying with a loose strand of hair when the attentive blue eyes focused on him.

"I know...I skipped it cos I was sick...caught a cold on the trip to the city" He saw a tiny smirk on the other guy's face that was quickly hidden when he turned away from him, reaching down into his bag to retrieve something. He blinked when a piece of paper was offered to him, and he took it with numb hands, confused lavender orbs staring at Heero as they both came to a stop.

"A small 'map' of the campus" Was everything that was given as an explanation as the short haired boy resumed his walk to the classroom, not even waiting for Duo to follow. The shorter boy smiled gently this time and caught up with Heero for the second time, slapping his upper arm gently with the back of his hand to get his attention.

"Thanks. You really don't have to do this, but I appreciate it" The other guy shook his head, dismissing the topic completely as they entered the classroom, taking his place at the back of the room almost mechanically. Duo, not knowing anyone else, moved to take the place behind Heero, only to be stopped by a big, burly, young man who, he was sure, was into American football.

"Yo, new kid. You'd be wise to stay away from that fag" He said simply and crossed his arms in front of his chest, shifting his weight to his left leg. Duo frowned lightly but decided to humour the guy for a minute.

"Why is that?" He questioned lightly as he took his bag from his shoulder. He shifted uncomfortably as the guy wrapped an arm around his shoulders and whispered at his ear with a breath that smelled like alcohol, smokes and like he hadn't washed his mouth this morning.

"He's a study freak...and a fag, I must add" Everyone around the guy laughed out loud and he could see Heero trying his best to ignore the whole scene. "The name's Patrick, though the pals call me Pat. Come sit with us, bean sprout" Duo's eyebrow twitched and he pushed the offending arm away, looking over his shoulder to shoot back.

"Don't call me small (1)...and wash your mouth. I mean it literally" And he walked over to the blue eyed boy, smiling slightly when he looked up "Do you mind?" He motioned to the chair behind Heero, and the messy haired boy shook his head, taking off one earphone Duo had just noticed: so he didn't hear the whole thing? The lucky bastard, if he knew this was the kind of classmates he would be having, he wouldn't have left his in his locker. "So, uhm..." Heero rose and eyebrow and then smiled, he actually smiled! Duo gaped openly at the sight and the other boy shrugged nonchalantly.

"Never mind what I did, no one would help me on my first day, so I thought I would help you" He said quietly and then relaxed his face completely, no single trace left of the charming smile Duo had seen just seconds ago "Which other subjects are you taking?" He asked simply and the big eyed boy smiled widely, deciding he shouldn't be so up tight with Heero. Even if he was as talkative as they came, he was usually shy at first meetings, which didn't make sense in any way you looked at it. He started talking enthusiastically with the guy, glad that most of his subjects were on Heero's list and at the same hour, and getting an occasional nod or grunt in response. Even if he had been offended by the comment on Heero's sexuality and his interest on school (which reflected his true self), he was feeling okay now, cos he felt as if he was making a new friend by now.

TBC

Author's Notes:

(1)– this was kind of taken from FMA n.n; though in this fic, I considered Duo's and Heero's height to be of about 1.70m and 1.75m respectively...yeah I know they are supposed to be quite the shorties XD but that's why this is called fan fiction! If I say they're this tall, then there's nothing to do about it XD Besides they are already in Uni, I think they deserve it XD

On these two chapters, it's been from Duo's POV, so I'll try to write next chapters from Heero's POV on the matters n_n

I've uploaded this two chapters this fast because I've had some time in my hands...but finals are coming up, so I'm sorry if it takes longer to publish the next one.

One last thing: Please review!!!!

Thanks for reading :)


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Usual disclaimer :)

Warnings: Yaoi, probably lemon later, sappyness, 1x2x1. Don't like? Don't read! :P

New warning!!! Relena bashing :P tried not to, but I just couldn't help myself XD I'll try to keep it down though, so please, don't stop reading!! *gives best puppy eyes *

Author's notes: Hey there! I'm sorry, I know it's been a long time since I last updated the story ; ; school's been a bit b*tchy to say the least...Anyway, here you have the third chapter, please enjoy and review!!! :)

Unexpected Meetings

by Arakune Yoru

Chapter 3

Heero looked at Duo from the corner of his eye, taking notes absently on what the teacher was saying. It had been quite a long time since anyone had talked to him, literally speaking; being the school freak didn't help him much, even if that wasn't all he did. He found it quite stupid when people called him names or pulled on his leg just because Patrick urged them on. It didn't really bother him, though, he had learnt his headphones were quite efficient at silencing everyone around and giving him the peace he enjoyed when he was alone; besides, at least that way, people could say whatever they wanted and he could still live as if nothing else mattered. Although he preferred being alone most of the times, he appreciated someone actually paying a bit of attention to him, even if it was just another classmate, and the new guy at that.

~Don't you mean, 'and the hot new guy'?~

He chuckled quietly and shook his head, turning back to look at the teacher. One reason why he didn't pay attention at Patrick's jokes was because he actually was gay, even when they were only pushing him around by calling him that. He was pulled from him musings when a tiny ball of paper landed on his desk, right next to his hand. He sighed and opened it slowly, a very pink note there:

'Hey Heero, see you after class in the mess hall? - Relena'

He instantly tensed and glanced at his right. Indeed the blonde girl was there, winking at him when their eyes met. He turned his eyes back to the teacher and took a deep breath to calm down: not her again...he wished Relena would buy that crap about his sexuality, but apparently, that was just not happening.

"Hey, you OK?" Duo asked him and he turned to look at him slowly, trying to look composed, but then again, how could he? The girl annoyed him to no end and even though he had turned her down a thousand times in the past, she kept coming back, completely oblivious to where Heero's real interests stood. He shrugged and Duo smirked gently, turning his attention back at the lecture. The blue eyed boy sighed and looked straight ahead, not really paying attention any more; why was he so bored? He didn't know, but very few people could hold his attention for more than twenty minutes.

*~

Duo stretched as the class came to an end, feeling his back complain quietly; he stood up and watched as Heero placed his books back into his bag not quickly, but efficiently, yawning slightly and blinking moisture from him eyes. The braided boy frowned lightly as Heero didn't glance back at him, but walked outside the classroom, putting his earphones back on; seriously, was this guy even aware he had been actually waiting for him? He chuckled as he answered himself 'no', and just jogged after Heero, slowing down when he caught up with him and looking around, trying to memorise the various classrooms they passed for later use. He knew Heero wouldn't always be there, as much as he'd like to have company, so he would have to find a way to manage.

"Heero!" A high pitched voice stopped the messy haired boy dead in his tracks, his blue orbs widening ever so slightly Duo found it hard to notice. His hand was grabbed almost convulsively and he found himself being dragged away fast, his feet trying hard to catch up with the other's fast stride.

"Hey, hey! Heero, what's going on? Why are we running?" The other boy just shook his head and kept walking quickly to who knew where, dragging Duo behind himself and earning glares from everyone in the hall. The braided boy merely shrugged and kept quiet about it; at least Heero hadn't left him there alone, had he just ran off, he was sure he would've had to ask for help, and it was almost certain no one would've helped him. They finally reached the assigned classroom and Heero let go of his hand as soon as they stepped inside, walking to a chair on the back, he fell rather heavily on it, letting out a relieved breath. The violet eyed boy laughed out loud and earned a half hearted glare from Heero, who kept trying to calm himself, with no success at all, of course. "So, what was that? Why did you suddenly have the urge to get here as soon as your feet could carry _us_?" Blue eyes focused on his for the second time that day and Duo found it hard to hold his stare.

"I...I'll explain some other time" And he just looked away, missing the confused look from the long haired boy, who, seeing the obvious dismissal, sat dawn next to the taller youth. A riddle, Heero was; one second he would be OK, and the next, he would behave as strangely as anyone would.

*~

"I hope to see you tomorrow again" Said Duo nonchalantly as Heero and he walked out of the last class for the day, heading toward the bus stop. The blue eyed boy rose an eyebrow and Duo couldn't help but throw a mischievous smirk at him. "I might need help again" Hearing that the other youth shook his head and rolled his eyes, taking his earphones out once again and putting them on.

"I'd like it very much, though I would prefer you used that map I gave you" With that said he nodded and walked away, waving slightly back at an enthusiastic braided boy.

"See ya!" The lavender eyed boy climbed the bus and reached his home with no major incident other than the person sitting next to him falling asleep and almost cuddling on his lap. He walked to the front door and was about to look for his keys when it slid open, revealing his mum in a violet apron looking at him with loving eyes. "I'm home?" He said softly and the slightly shorter woman reached his face with her hand to bring his head down; kissing his cheek softly, she pulled him into the house, closing the door quietly behind themselves.

"Had a nice day, honey?" Duo smiled gently at the endearment and nodded, walking to his room slowly.

"It was...OK mum" He almost whispered, and he stopped at the foot of the stairs. "I'm going to be in my room, 'k?" When he heard his mum hum back, he walked upstairs, closing the door and throwing himself onto his bed, face up. "Heero Yui..." He whispered and kept staring out through the skylight. He found the other boy quite interesting, but he knew he couldn't pry him open ,especially since they had just met that day. He chuckled lightly and curled on his side, closing his eyes tiredly; pursuing anything other than friendship on this stage would be stupid, and yet he thought even something as simple as a friend would be hard to find in Heero. He sighed and relaxed completely, turning once again on his bed; he could at least try, right? Trying to be friends with Heero wouldn't hurt...right?

He fell asleep shortly after, thoughts of the blue eyed boy invading his dreams.

*~

"Ah, there you are, stinking piece of shit" Heero sighed tiredly when he stepped into his house, and the first thing he saw was his step father lying on the couch, countless bottles of beer scattered on the floor and the TV on.

"Please Jay, not now" He said simply and headed toward his room, trying to ignore the man trying to stand up and walk to him.

"What do you mean not now, brat? Come back here and bring me something to drink!" He sighed and stopped, dropping his bag and going back down, going into the kitchen and finding his mother preparing dinner. His mum... she was on the attractive side, he knew, but he still couldn't understand what was that drew her to this man.

"Please, sweetheart, give him something" He sighed and did as he was told, not even saying something back to his mum. When he reached the living room and delivered the beer, the stench almost made him run to his room, but he managed to walk normally back to where his bag was lying on the floor. When he reached his room, a small piece with nothing other than his bed, a desk, a chair and his closet, he threw himself onto the soft mattress, taking out his mobile to turn the volume as high as he could.

~When will this end?~

TBC

Wow! Long chapter this time! :P Please tell me what you think, I feel this was a bit boring u.u

I knew I said I'd try to make it on Heero's POV, but then we would lose the mystery completely!

Looking forward to your reviews. Thanks for reading!! :)


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Usual disclaimer :)

Warnings: Yaoi, probably lemon later, sappyness, 1x2x1. Don't like? Don't read! :P

New warning!!! Relena bashing :P tried not to, but I just couldn't help myself XD I'll try to keep it down though, so please, don't stop reading!! *gives best puppy eyes *

Author's notes: I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I said I'm sorry! . I didn't forget about this story, my mind was just dry :P I hope I can update this story more often, so please bear with me! Anyway, here you are, yet another chapter of the first story I've ever posted. Enjoy! (and please review) ahem n_n

Unexpected Meetings

by Arakune Yoru

Chapter 4

"Duo!" Long braid whipping around, the violet boy turned fast with a smile already in place to see who was calling him. A short haired redhead jogged towards him, stopping three feet away to take a breath; Duo smiled and ruffled the other's bangs affectionately, earning a half hearted glare.

"What's up Mark?" The other stood straight and smiled easily, holding up a basket ball on his hands.

"Let's go play! The others are busy and I don't feel like going home yet" Duo was already smiling apologetically before Mark stopped talking; he didn't feel like it and he had some work to do back at home anyway.

"I'm sorry Mark, maybe some other time? There are some things I must take care of" The other youth moaned in defeat and left the ball on the ground, crossing his arms over his chest to look at Duo in, what he thought, was an angry stance.

"C'mon, just ten minutes?" Duo laughed out loud and continued walking, the other boy right behind him.

"It's never 'just ten minutes' with you Mark. You don't like losing and you'll always rise up the score so it takes me longer to win" Duo then continued walking toward the bus stop and pulled his ear phones from his pocket, waving his free hand over his shoulder "I really need to go. Ja!" The boy behind him just pouted and mumbled a short farewell, but Duo was beyond caring, he really needed to go back home and there was nothing that could stop him from being on time...it was, after all, his mother's birthday and without his father home that day, he had to prepare something on his own. He got on the bus and smiled at the driver, earning a wink from the lady; he thought people worked better when the others were nice to him, so he always tried his best to make the others feel good when they were offering their services. He sat by the window and looked to the pavement, wondering where Heero was; he had been missing for all the classes they took together, and he didn't see him in the mess hall. He chuckled as he felt a warm blush spread all over his face: he was worried because there were a couple of projects they were supposed to give in, and they had decided to work together. They were going to talk about it that day, but Heero hadn't been there...He looked up as an elderly woman walked down the corridor, looking for a seat. He glanced back slightly and saw there was no place for the woman; he immediately stood up and helped the woman to sit, earning a gentle smile and a whispered 'thank you'.

_~Keep telling yourself you're worried about your project, in fact you want to see Heero~_

He hated his inner voice to the core, it always said unnecessary things at inconvenient moments...but it was always right on the mark. He knew he was not being rational, but he liked the guy, he was too much on the mysterious type, but when he let his guard down, he would show his weird sense of humour and the rare smiles he had to give. Duo sighed and looked down at his feet as he help tight onto the upper bar of the bus; he tried not to think about it, after all, he had his mother's birthday party to plan. He chuckled and the elderly woman he gave his seat to smiled at him and shook her head. Such party it was going to be, just his mother and he, his father was too busy to be there; he didn't mind though, he loved his small family even when his father worked most of the day. The bus stopped suddenly and he lost his balance, stumbling to the front before grabbing onto a seat; he cursed and straightened, running a hand through his fringe. He walked a few steps to get to the driver and he patted her shoulder gently so as to not startle her.

"Are you ok ma'am? Is something---" She was staring straight ahead, her mouth ajar and her eyes wide. He followed her line of sight and saw a good-looking woman standing directly in front of the bus: she looked a bit agitated, her hair was messy, her eyes haunted and she held a rather old apron in her hand. Duo swallowed and looked at the driver again, shaking her slightly out of her trance. "What should we do?" He asked when she blinked and glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.

"I'm sorry...we should get her out of the way and into the pavement...but who knows what's going on in her head, she could be danger---wait, kid!" Duo ignored her and jumped out of the bus, walking to the woman slowly and holding his arms out.

"Excuse me, ma'am." He said to get her attention, swallowing again when lost, blue eyes turned to look at him, a shadow of a smile there. "Would you give me your hand, ma'am?" He asked, offering the most charming smile he had to give. The woman didn't even shook her head, she just ignored the boy and walked out of the bus' way but still on the drive way. "Ma'am?" Duo called again, anxiousness getting the best of him. The woman stopped in the middle of the way again and turned her head to look at a horning car, not caring it was speeding toward her "Ma'am!" He shouted and covered his mouth as his voice broke. Someone ran past him and pushed/pulled the lady out of the way half a second early, gasping when they fell on the pavement. Duo's eyes widened and he ran to them, looking up and down the street to check there were no cars coming. He knelt beside the two and placed a hand on the guy's shoulder as he straightened to look down at the lady. "Are you--?"

"Mum? Mum what's wrong?" He blinked as he recognized the voice and he rounded the two to get a glance at the boy's face. Sure enough, Heero's worried features came into view, but he didn't even glance up. "Please mum, come back into the house" The whisper was so soft Duo found it hard to believe it was indeed Heero.

"Heero?" The woman called, her eyes not focusing on her son at all.

"Yes mum, it's me, Heero. Let's go back?" Duo swallowed for the tenth time and gently held Heero's mum's arm, aiding her to stand up. The messy haired boy finally noticed him and he blinked, but asked nothing, thinking it was best to take his mother back inside the house. Together they guided Heero's mother across the street slowly, not stopping until the driver called out to Duo.

"You coming back in? Or should I leave you to care for the lady" Duo smiled and shook his head, resuming his walk toward Heero's house.

"Thanks, I'll be ok" The bus drove away and Duo looked worriedly at Heero's mum, who hung rather limply between the messy haired boy and and himself.

"It's ok, mum, I'll get you to bed right away, I'll make that juice you love so much---" Heero kept whispering reassuring words into her ear, wanting his mother to stay awake so he could find out what was wrong. He continued talking in soft tones, but he glared at the open door, his step father was behind this, he just knew it, if only he could prove it. His cheeks burned in shame as Duo entered his house and caught glance of Jay, lying completely unconscious on the armchair in the living room, dozens of bottles of beer lying on the ground around him. He swallowed and tried to ignore it, knowing it'd only make Duo stare if he did too. "Here," He whispered and pulled his mother up in his arms and walked to his room, conscious Duo was tiptoeing behind him; he was ok with it, after all, Jay might wake up and yell at Duo if he found him standing there.

_~Now that would be embarrassing.~_

He lied his mother down on the bed and checked the insides of her elbows, swallowing hard when he saw the trace of a needle there. Duo saw it too and just averted his eyes and covered his mouth; either Heero's mum was an addict or someone was injecting this stuff on her...maybe the man downstairs?

"I think it would be better if you left Duo" He heard Heero whisper and he looked at him with sad eyes, finding disturbed cobalt orbs staring at him. "I'll see you to the door" And without waiting for an answer he stood up, guiding Duo to to the porch. The braided boy looked at him hesitantly before hugging him loosely for a few seconds before pulling back, not daring to look up into his face.

"If there's anything I could do...?" Heero stepped back into his house and shook his head.

"Thanks for helping, but I'll handle this...I'll see you in school" And he closed the door gently,going back to his mother's side.

*~Mrs. Maxwell paced around the living room as she waited for her son; she had been waiting for him to come home around 3:30, but it was almost 6 and he hadn't even called her, it was so unlike him. A sound brought her head up and she saw said boy step into the piece, a red rose in his right hand and a small box in his left one, he looked downcast and his braid was a complete mess.

"Honey?" She called and walked to him, rubbing his cheek with a soft hand. "What's wrong sweetie?" He shook his head and guided her to the couch, setting the gifts on the small table and kneeling in front of his mother, just looking at her with sad, violet eyes. Helen Maxwell's features turned into those of worry and she placed her hand on his check. "Duo?" Suddenly, her son squeezed his eyes shut and pillowed his head on her legs, sobbing quietly, his shoulders shaking as he tried to keep quiet. The woman gulped and petted his soft hair gently, trying to calm him down. "Oh Duo, what's wrong honey? What happened?" She felt her skirt stick to her legs and warm droplets fall continuously on it and she sighed; something bad had to have happened for her son to break like this.

"I love you, mum..." She heard him whisper repeatedly like a mantra and decided she'd let him cry his eyes out, in the meantime, she petted his hair and arms as gently as she cool, making soothing noises as her son wept on her skirt.

~TBC

I hope you like this chapter enough to forgive me for not posting in such a long time AND to continue reading ^^ it was a bit hard to write this one, since the idea just popped up and I decided to write it down n.n I really hope this is what you were expecting, please tell me what you think =D

And finally, every author's dream...review please!!!

See you on the next chapter ^^


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Usual disclaimer :)

Warnings: Yaoi, probably lemon later, sappyness, 1x2x1. Don't like? Don't read! :P Relena bashing again ^^ ....hey you can say whatever, but i KNOW you missed it! XD

Author's notes: Hi there! I'm happy to upload the next chapter so quickly! Relatively speaking of course. The ideas have just been popping up my head and I need to write them before I forget them! ^^; Please, read and review!!!

Unexpected Meetings

by Arakune Yoru

Chapter 5

Heero sat on a chair by his mother's side, holding her right hand in both of his. What had happened? Why were there needle marks on the insides of her elbows? He sighed and kissed the calloused hand gently, closing his eyes tightly in an attempt to stop tears from falling.

~Mum, tell me what to do...please~

He swallowed hard and took a deep breath, letting his head fall on his mother's belly; he had to think of something and fast! He knew Jay was involved in this somehow, but he couldn't think of a way to catch him doing a thing! He stood up suddenly and punched the wall angrily, tears slipping from behind closed eyes.

"I'm gonna kill you..." From the door, that was slightly ajar, a pair of red glasses shone as a low chuckle escaped a mouth with beer-stained teeth.

**The next day**

Duo walked sleepily toward class; yesterday had been by far the worst. He had cried his eyes out on his mum's lap, his father had arrived shortly after and they both started petting his hair gently, whispering gentle words in his ear. He had embarrassed himself in front of his dad...but he was far more worried about Heero...and his mum.

~Just Heero, admit it~

He sighed and stopped 15 feet from the classroom, running his hand through his unruly fringe. The warm feeling that spread through his body every time he thought of Heero wasn't normal, he knew that...but he also accepted he was too afraid to admit it, even to himself. With a frustrated snort he walked away from the classroom and into the rest room, washing his face with cold water, letting out a deep breath. He didn't need this, not now when everything was going rather well in school and of course, with Heero; they were not excessively close, they had just met a month and a half ago, it'd be stupid to think they were the best of friends, but they were in good terms, and he didn't want his sexual orientation to get in the way of a slowly, but surely developing friendship. He smiled sadly at his reflection and shook his head, cocking his head to the left; well, he liked Heero, he'd go as far as saying he had a crush on the boy, but that and getting involved were two different things. He shook his head again and walked outside the room, walking to the front yard instead of the classroom; there were too many things in his head, he wouldn't be able to concentrate, might was well try to relax or try to convince himself there was nothing wrong with Heero's life.

~But his mother...What happened to her?~

Easy really, she was high on something when she was almost hit by that car; the real question was: was she doing it herself? Or was someone forcing her into it? Duo sighed as he found a spot under the shadow of a tree and sat down, taking out a notebook and a pencil and trying to get comfortable. He started drawing random forms before he looked up again...Would Heero come to school today?

"Arrgh, I'm so messed up!" He said and threw his notebook aside, crossing his arms over his chest, his braid in his left fist, as he let out some angry puffs.

"...I agree" The violet eyed boy jumped slightly and looked back where his notebook was lying, finding the short haired boy he'd been thinking about reaching down to pick it up and throw a rather amused glance at him. "What's wrong with you? Skipping classes now?" Heero asked before he sat down gently by Duo's side and handed his notebook back, leaning back on the tree. The braided boy decided not to ask about his mother or anything about the previous day, but he snorted and closed his eyes, throwing his head back.

"I could say the same thing to you, buddy" He reached inside his bag and took out a few sheets of paper, handing them to Heero. "Professor Quince changed the deadline, he wants it three weeks before the appointed date, that is..." He checked his mobile phone and nodded "...we still have little over two months to finish it" And then he let the other boy read the papers; he let his gaze drop to the slim, long fingers holding the paper gently and stopped himself from sighing. Heero was so...delicate? No, of course not, he was very manly, one could see it in his stride and the way he moved, there was nothing delicate about him...then what was it that drew Duo to him? His looks? Possible, Heero was a very handsome man, his big blue eyes and messy mop of hair made him look nothing but hot, his nose...his lips...pretty much everything about the guy was candy-eye. But Duo had long learned one couldn't be that superficial, so he had learned not to be...meaning that was not it. Perhaps it was the aura he gave off, his silent attitude, his dry sense of humour, the way he'd notice he was smiling a bit too much and wipe the 'silly look' from his face...

"Oi, Duo, listen to me!" He almost jumped out of his skin when the boy he'd just been half fantasizing about touched his arm lightly, shaking him gently out of his musings.

"I....huh, sorry" He managed to let out embarrassedly and scratched the back of his head, looking at anything but Heero. "What did you say?" Heero took a deep breath and shook his head, punching Duo lightly on his arm. "Ouch, you're gonna make it go numb, man" He rubbed his arm playfully and Heero just rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, I was saying we should complete this asap...I don't know about you but I want this semester to end peacefully and relaxed" Duo nodded absently and opened his notebook again, looking for his exams schedule.

"Yeah...we've got a couple of exams next week, how about the week after that? I mean, I could try and not study, but the subjects are a bit...hard, I don't want to risk it" The blue eyed boy shrugged and looked down at the projects outlines, reading them quietly before answering.

"That's ok, I'm having a couple of problems myself" Duo laughed lightly and stretched, pillowing his head on his arms as he lied down completely.

"Why did *you* skip class anyway? You don't strike me as the type to do it often." For a whole minute, both remained in silence, Heero picking on a blade of grass while Duo lied with his eyes closed, thinking he had messed up without meaning to. Of course Heero wouldn't want to be in class, not after yesterday...Duo would have stayed home, not because he was embarrassed, but to take care of his mother.

"Yesterday..." The taller boy started and Duo opened his eyes to look at him, but found Heero staring down at his hands. "I...thank you for helping." And then the braided boy noticed an almost imperceptible blush across Heero's face; he smiled and sat up straight, placing a comforting had on the blue eyed boy's shoulder.

"It's ok, don't worry" Duo looked around fast to confirm there was no one around and then leaned closer to Heero, placing a hand up to cover his mouth.

"Is your mum ok now?" He asked in a whisper and Heero couldn't help but chuckle at the funny picture Duo represented right then.

"Yeah...well she, err, she just fell asleep yesterday, when you left...and since she has to yet wake up I thought it'd be best not to skip school again." He shrugged easily and settled his eyes on the maze right in front of them; he couldn't completely understand why a University campus would have a maze of all things... "Perhaps we should start thinking about our pro--"

"Heero!" Duo frowned lightly and turned around slightly: that high pitched voice...the last time he'd heard it Heero had...

"Let's go" The other boy said suddenly and stood up in haste, grabbing Duo's hand and forcing him up with him.

"Hey, this is the second time it happens, do you think you could expl---" But the other boy just dragged him behind himself, walking quickly towards the maze.

"Heero wait! Stop avoiding me!" The voice grew closer and Heero broke a run, still holding Duo's hand. He entered the maze and heard Relena shout at him. "Stop right there Heero, I am NOT going in that maze with you!" He almost sighed in relief but kept running, zigzagging so in case Relena decided she would go after him, she couldn't find them easily.

"Oi, Heero stop!" Duo succeeded in pulling his arm out of Heero's grip and he bent over as he tried to catch his breath. He wasn't that into sports, and even when he did play basketball, he wasn't a very good runner. "Would you mind explaining for a change?" The other boy took a deep breath and ran a hand through his messy hair, leaning on a wall and looking down at the grass.

"I met Relena back when we both entered this school. She liked me for some reason I can't quite figure out, she's been obsessing with the idea she's the only one who can make me smile; and that's just because I saw when she tripped in the mess hall and...well, I kind of chuckled" Duo couldn't help but laugh a little, earning a glare from Heero "She looked up before I could wipe the smirk from my face and voilà! We're suddenly meant to be together", The blue eyed boy sighed and sat down on the floor, resting his elbows on his knees. Duo sat by his side and leaned on one knee, stretching his other leg in front of him; he wanted to ask Heero about his mum, but decided he shouldn't push his luck, after all, their relationship was still in-progress. "I sometimes wish she'd buy that crap about me being gay"

"Would that put her off, though? For some ridiculous reason, women find gay guys attractive" Duo said and shrugged, smirking a little at Heero, who kept his eyes glued to the floor. Duo frowned and rose a thin eyebrow, leaning towards Heero slightly to look into his face; he found a slight blush on Heero's face, who kept his eyes on the floor "...Are you gay Heero?" He asked gently and the other turned his head away from him, finding an interesting spot on the ground. The braided boy almost chuckled, but he leaned away from Heero and rested his back on the wall. "Would it be so bad? I mean, I'm gay, too, so I don't really mind" Heero turned his eyes sharply to look at the violet eyed boy's face and found a gentle smile waiting for him; he sighed again and shook his head, his lips curling upwards as he looked away again.

"You're right...it doesn't matter, does it?" He chuckled lightly and closed his eyes, unable to stop when Duo joined him. What a funny picture they must've made, two guys sitting in the middle of a maze laughing after confessing their sexual preferences.

"It's not anyone's problem but yours, so why sweat it?" Duo shrugged and stood up, stretching a little and holding out his hand to help Heero up "You think it's safe to get out of here? This place is giving me the creeps..."

To be continued

Author's notes

*sigh* Finally completed this ^^; don't get me wrong, I wasn't forcing it, it's just the idea of the maze suddenly hit me and I thought 'Why not?' =D let me know if you liked it ok? I hope I can finish and upload the next chapter soon =) Till then!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Usual disclaimer :)

Warnings: Yaoi, probably lemon later, sappyness, 1x2x1. Don't like? Don't read! :P

Author's notes: Sorry for uploading this chapter so late -.- I've had the idea in my head for months, but...I guess you know Uni is kinda...well you know :P At any rate, here you are, the 6th chapter! :P To say 'I'm sorry' there's a little something at the end of the chapter =P Hope you enjoy!

Unexpected Meetings

by Arakune Yoru

Chapter 6

Heero lowered his head and yawned deeply, half covering his mouth with his right hand, sighing when the teacher threw a hard glance his way. He wouldn't yawn if he could help it, but for the last couple of weeks, he had been staying up almost the whole night just to keep an eye on his mother, and make sure he caught Jay if he was indeed the one drugging her. Someone poked him in the ribs and he jumped, sighing yet again when he realized he had been dozing off.

"You ok, Heero?" Duo's voice came from behind his back, the low whisper caressing his neck gently and drawing a shiver from him. The braided boy tapped his shoulder with something and Heero turned his head slightly to the side, finding a round candy in the slender hand.

"What's this?" He asked as he took the offered thing, unwrapping it and placing it under his nose to smell it. Duo chuckled and shook his head, still leaning toward Heero so the teacher wouldn't hear them talking.

"Coffee candy, it's good, and it'll keep you from napping on your desk" He patted Heero's shoulder again and sat back straight, turning his attention to the class. They had been working on their projects for the last month and a half, and they were almost done, they just had one more to finish, and they would be free for the rest of the semester and their holidays. The violet eyed boy shook his head and looked down at his notebook, which was full of half sentences and messy notes that didn't quite make sense, and he blamed it entirely on the short haired boy sitting right in front of him. Ever since the 'maze incident', as he liked to call it, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about the taller boy, and how he had been so shy and embarrassed when he admitted being gay. Not like he could blame it, it wasn't an easy thing to accept, but he thought he would be cool about it when he himself said he wasn't that keen on women...

"Mr Maxwell, would you mind telling us what you find so interesting on watching the back of Mr Yui's head?" The braided boy looked up and smiled sheepishly, blushing slightly when everyone around the class chuckled. "Pay attention" Scolded the teacher before going back to his class. Heero hid a small smile behind his hand before shaking his head, moving the candy around his mouth with his tongue, thoughts of his mother going around his head, making him consider his options, forcing his attention from the teacher. Was there anything at all he could do? Maybe, but without evidence he couldn't do a thing, and even if he had some, his mother would probably be forced to go into some rehabilitation centre, leaving him alone at home, probably with Jay to make his life as miserable as he could...A ball of paper hit the side of his head and startled him out of his thoughts, bringing an exasperated sigh from his chest as he ran a hand through messy locks before turning his face slightly to the right, his eyes narrowing when he spotted Patrick and his gang smirking at him. He couldn't quite get the guy, he had never done anything to make him mad, still he was bent on picking on him whenever he had the chance. The burly guy hit his fist on his palm and then pointed at Heero, his friends chuckling and pointing at Heero mockingly; the blue eyed boy turned his eyes back to the board and blinked, realizing there'd be blood on the pavement today, even if he refused to fight them.

~_Well, it won't be mine, that's for certain_~

"That'd be all for today. Make sure you finish your project before next week, because we still have a lot to check before..." The messy haired boy stood up and left the classroom in a hurry before the teacher finished speaking, glancing back slightly to find Duo looking at him with a confused pair of purple eyes. If Patrick was serious about beating him down (or try to) then he didn't want anyone to get involved, especially not Duo; the guy wasn't clumsy or skinny, but Heero didn't know how well he could defend himself...besides, this was his problem, not Duo's.

_~MY problem? It's not even mine! It's Patrick's and the others'!~_

As he exited the building, he rounded it, looking around for the burly football player and his friends.

"Why, hello Heero" He heard the bigger man's voice and he turned around, looking up to find the guy staring down at him from a tree. The blue eyed boy threw his head back and smirked slightly.

"Thought it smelled like shit...seems I wasn't off" Patrick's eye twitched and he jumped off the tree, landing 6 feet from Heero and motioning for his gang to join him.

"Time's up, sissy. Pay for your sins" Heero rose an eyebrow and shifted his weight to his left leg.

"Sins? I don't remember offending you in any way, dude, what's your problem?" The group in front of him laughed out loud as their leader walked closer to the shorter boy, trying in vain to intimidate him and make him back off.

"If rejecting 'Lena-babe isn't a sin...you're a flaming homosexual, that's enough to make someone want to beat you, fag" Heero shook his head as he rolled his eyes at Patrick, running a hand through his messy locks.

"Is that all? You're basically just being jealous? Why don't you go ask her out? I'm not interested, I won't interfere"He said and turned around waving his hand dismissively at them as he walked away, before the redhead turned him around and rose his fist.

"Listen, fag, this ain't gonna be the end of it, you've gotta pay fo-" Patrick fell to the ground with a bloody nose and a hoarse cry, looking up shocked at the shorter boy. Heero straightened and pulled his fist back down, pushing it inside his pocket and throwing his head back.

"Too much talk, Patrick, next time skip the lecture" As he was turning around, someone grabbed him from behind and held his arms back, successfully immobilizing him enough for the burly guy to stand up, even as he trashed wildly to try and break free.

"Yeah, you're right...too much talk, not enough fists!" Heero clenched his eyes shut and stilled as the bigger man drew his fist back...

~_Huh?_~

He opened his eyes as he heard a loud thud followed by a grunt of pain, Duo was standing there, straightening his shirt as he looked back at him.

"Well, never thought I'd have to help you out in this kind of situation, Heero" The violet eyed boy said as he pushed his braid back, turning to look at the taller of the two with a wide smile.

"W-What's your problem Maxwell?" Heero heard Patrick shout rather nosily at them and saw him sprawled on the floor, holding his nose once again. The golden skinned young man freed himself with one swift move and threw his holder over his shoulder, smirking down at him when he coughed weakly.

"Didn't ask for your help" He said coldly, but when he glanced at Duo and saw a confused expression on his face he shrugged and added "But thanks" The braided young man smiled again and nodded, walking to Heero as the other members of Patrick's gang closed up on them.

"Maybe we should leave the formalities for when we get out of here..." He said and got a grunt as a response. Just as the other guys launched themselves at them, a sharp whistle stopped them on their tracks and they turned around to find the PE teacher along with the principal and one other teacher standing there, looking at them rather disapprovingly.

"Well, I am not surprised to see it's young Patrick _again_" The principal as she shook her head and walked to the group of young men; she motioned for the PE teacher to take Patrick and the guy Heero handled not-so-gently to the infirmary, and asked the other teacher to take the rest of the gang to her office, then she turned a glare to the remaining two. "I never thought you two would cause trouble, especially not you, Mr. Yui" Heero didn't react, he just looked away as he tried to relax his muscles; Duo, on the other hand...

"What? It wasn't us who started this!" He said angrily, waving his hand on the general direction of the infirmary. "You said so yourself, it was Patrick! If it's not surprising how come you think it was u-!"

"Mr. Maxwell! Don't you rise your voice at me young man! You might have not started this, but you did play along rather well" She scolded and the violet eyed boy blushed as he looked down at his hands; the older woman sighed and straightened her suit. "Since this is the first time you cause trouble, I'll keep the punishment small. You'll have to work the evening shift at the library, report to Mrs. Lynch, she'll guide you from there. I hope you behave yourselves. Gentlemen" And with that she left for her office, taking out her mobile as she walked toward the biggest building of the campus. Heero and Duo stood still for a couple of seconds, then slowly turned to look at each other. Heero was finding it hard to keep a straight face, and one corner of Duo's mouth was turned slightly upward; within seconds they burst out laughing, bending forward to rest their hands on their knees and catch their breath.

"Wasn't that bad, was it?" Duo asked as he wiped a tiny tear from the corner of his eye; the blue eyed boy shook his head and straightened, running a hand through chocolate brown hair.

"Mrs. Hughes has always been a sweetheart, and a sucker for blue eyes...though we won't be as lucky next time" They smiled at each other one last time before they started walking toward the library, close enough so they could feel heat from the other invading their personal space. "Library, huh? This'll be fun" Duo looked at Heero as if he'd grown another head and rose a thin eyebrow, rubbing the nape of his neck gently.

"You sure they didn't hit you or anything?" But he only got a half mischievous smirk as an answer.

~*Later that day*

"Make sure you put every single book in its place, ya hear? I'll check tomorrow, if I find a single book out of its place, Roberta's gonna hear from me!" The librarian shouted at them as he walked to the exit, putting on his coat and hat as he opened the door.

"Who's Roberta?" Duo asked in a whisper, leaning close to Heero so the man wouldn't hear them.

"...Do you know anything at all? That's the principal's name" The braided boy chuckled, but quieted as the man turned around to glare at them.

"And no slacking! You have one hour and a half to finish brats!" He closed the door gently behind himself, leaving the big library in complete silence as the two boys looked around and finally at each other.

"Well...we better get started" They both walked to the book trucks and dragged them around with them, placing the books carefully onto the shelves. "So..." Duo started as he reached up to get a couple of books down. "It's always been like that with Patrick and the others?" He heard a snort and the sound of the truck wheels against the impeccably clean floor getting closer.

"He'd never gotten this far...wonder what triggered this" Heero leaned on the book truck and stared up at the lithe boy, watching with interest as he wriggled around to reach the top shelves.

~_Not gonna hide it any more?_~

He shook his head, even when it was just his inner voice talking to him. He'd been hesitant before partly because he didn't know Duo favoured men over women...and also...

~_I'm worried about my mum...but..._~

But he liked the boy enough to feel easy around him, and if he had a chance with him now, he couldn't let it go...with his looks and personality, he'd certainly charm someone else in a matter of minutes.

"Heero? You still here buddy?" He snapped out of his reverie and looked up to find Duo standing on the ground, still placing some books in their place. The blue eyed boy nodded and smiled slightly, cocking his head to the right and half closing his eyes.

"I was just thinking..." He started just as the braided boy stretched his hand to climb the ladder, making him turn his head slightly around to look at him when he didn't continue talking.

"Yes?" Duo urged him on.

"I..." An almost imperceptible blush stole across Heero's cheeks, but the sensual look wasn't wiped from his face "I really like you" Duo's mouth fell open and his eyes widened as the short haired boy walked closer to him and placed his lips gently over his, closing his mouth effectively, but managing to make his eyes widen even more.

~_Is...is this really happening?_~

Before he could determine whether it was a dream or reality, Heero pulled back, smiling at him one last time before turning around and walking away with his book truck.

"Hurry, Duo, they say weird things happen around the library after 8" The slim boy shook his head and touched his lips gently as he glanced at the glowing numbers on his watch...8:15

To be continued

Yay! Long chapter ^^ kinda liked how the library scene came out...what do you think though? Oh and here's the 'sorry' I was talking about http : / / arakune-yoru . deviantart . com / gallery / # / d2ob0z6 :P I made this, yeah ^^; tell me what you think about it too, please? :P

Since I'm officially on holiday, I might update this soon so please beaaar with me ^^

Review please!

And thanks for reading ^_~


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Usual disclaimer :)

Warnings: same old, shonen-ai.

Author's notes: Hey there ^^; I should prepare lots of 'I'm sorry' tokens...sadly I don't have enough time XD, I'm writing now because I really want to finish this story, although I'm not yet sure how this'll end XD Anyway, here's chapter 7 =) Enjoy!

Unexpected Meetings

by Arakune Yoru

Chapter 7

"So..." Duo said slowly, twirling the basket ball on his hands easily. Heero looked at him with a straight face and bored eyes.

"So what?" The braided boy almost pouted, but only allowed himself to frown.

"You know what." The ball bounced on the court smoothly, its sounds echoing all over the place. It had been two weeks since they had been scolded and assigned to the late shift at the library; it had never happened again, Patrick hadn't came close to them, or rather to Heero since the Principal talked to him for, apparently, the last time. Duo wanted to talk about what Heero had done that night, but he never found the taller guy alone, not even in the toilets.

"I do?" Duo snorted and threw the ball toward the basket, watching with half happy eyes when it went in without touching the backboard. Heero had never been evasive, most of the times he would answer questions straight forwardly to the point unless he was in a pissy mood. Now he sounded like he was avoiding the topic.

"Hm, I wonder" They kept throwing aimless shots at the backboard, not even caring they didn't score. Duo wanted to ask about Heero's mum, about their projects, what he was doing for holidays, what he looked like when he was really happy, but most of all about that damn kiss. He hadn't been able to think straight after that happened, his mind was constantly focused on the blue eyed monster, as he had decided to call him; the damn kid was even in his dreams! Shaking his head firmly he looked at said man from the corner of his eye. "How's your mum?" He asked gently and the other young man sighed and looked at the ground completely missing the hoop.

"She's...she's better now" The blue eyed boy was so embarrassed that Duo had seen his beloved mother like that...so helpless, so utterly...

_~Lost~_

"Hey." He looked up when he felt a slight weight rest on his shoulder, his eyes looking up into those unique violet eyes. "You ok?" Duo asked gently and Heero merely shook his head, straightening once more as he walked to retrieve the ball.

"I'll live." Duo then regretted asking, but he just shrugged it off and caught the ball when Heero threw it his way. The messy haired boy looked, slightly impressed, how Duo moved the ball so easily, it slid smoothly from his hands, to the ground...between his legs. He almost groaned out loud and forced his eyes from the slender boy's groin; his staring wouldn't do any good, even when his nether regions thought otherwise.

"Let's play a bit? Just you 'n me" Heero repressed the urge to sigh when Duo decided to play it safe and divert his attention to something less personal. He looked down his nose at his friend and smirked slightly when an amused expression graced the other's face.

"What, you in for an ass kicking, Maxwell?" The braided young man pouted childishly and threw the ball hard at Heero, setting his fists on his slim hips as he smirked mischievously at the other.

"Wanna bet?" He teased, the smirk on his face never softening.

"Oh? What do you want to lose?" Heero wasn't much of a talker, he had convinced himself of that long ago, but there was something, _everything_ about Duo that made him want to shove his teasings right back on his face while he controlled the ball with almost equal ability the other had showed. The still round face pinched in mock hurt as he clutched at his shirt right over his heart.

"Man, Iam _hurt _Heero. To think I'm planning to lose" Letting out a low chuckle from his chest, the blue eyed man threw the ball at the hoop, a predatory grin adorning his features as the ball went in so smoothly and yet strongly.

"So, what will be the bet?" He said innocently, turning to find a stunned Duo looking rather owlishly at him. He almost chuckled, but managed to keep his face questioning.

"Huh...well the winner decides. How's that sound?" The braided boy suggested, his face not looking as confident as before. Yet, he refused to lose; if he won, and he was sure would, he'd make Heero tell him what that kiss had been about, what it meant to him...

~And if we can do it again...~

Duo stopped walking and looked down at his feet, a deep red blush adorning his pale face. He didn't know why he'd fallen for Heero...was it his looks? Could be, the guy was handsome, and he was athletic; but Duo had learned the hard way a good body wasn't all that mattered when they were giving love a try. The aura around the blue eyed young man attracted Duo to no end, even when he had a cold exterior, he was warm...The way he walked, the way he talked, the way he'd stare at the clouds for hours before he closed his eyes and sighed, looking back down at his assignments or Duo.

~I wonder what it is that you see...~

He didn't know for sure if Heero saw anything at all. For all he knew, he could have some sort of absence syndrome and that's why he'd stare at nothing at all.

"Duo?" Big violet orbs looked up at the source of that deep voice and locked with endless seas of blue, but the lost look in them remained. Heero frowned and walked a closer to him, leaning down a bit to look Duo square in the eye, but the other young man didn't move an inch...it was almost as if he was seeing through him right at the other side of the court. "Duo" He called his name more firmly this time, biting his lower lip when the other didn't react. How long had Duo been standing still anyway? Heero had walked to the end of the court and turned around to find the braided boy standing just a few steps from where they had been before with this lost look in his round face. "Duo!" The younger of the two jumped slightly, his eyes finally focusing on Heero and a red blush spread all over his face as he looked down sheepishly.

"S-sorry..." He whispered and then smiled a bit to the other youth. "I guess I'm not feeling that good...shall we call it quits?" Before waiting to hear a response from his taller friend, he turned on his heels and walked to where is backpack was along with Heero's, sitting by it, before leaning back to lie completely down. As he stared at the endless sky, he understood why Heero did it: it was calming, it gave this sense of...freedom, even when it seemed to swallow him whole; somehow, seeing how big the sky was, the idea how long the corners of the space extended made him feel so small...and yet, so at peace.

~What's gotten into him?~

The blue eyed boy stared at the braided youth for a few seconds, trying to figure out what had just happened to ruin the cheerful mood of the violet eyed ball of energy. Realization dawned on him and he almost smirked, but he just sat down by Duo's side and placed the ball next to him, looking into the horizon with happy blue eyes, even as his face remained blank and void of emotion.

"So, I get to pick what you'll lose right?" Violet orbs focused on him and Duo rose an elegant eyebrow in question, but Heero just shrugged with a straight face and looked again to the sunset. "That was the deal, winner will pick what he gets." Instantly, Duo was up with slightly wide eyes and his pinkish mouth slightly ajar. "You quit, hence...I won." Duo chuckled and shook his head.

"We didn't even play-"

"I won, that's final" The look Heero was giving the other young man made him think it would have been best to ignore the shock realizing his feelings had given him and just play.

"That's not fair." He said with a small pout on his lips and crossed his arms above his chest.

"May I remind you it was _you_ who set the rules?" Heero wasn't laughing, but there was a certain gleam in his eyes that assured Duo he wasn't taking this too seriously.

"OK, I give. What do I lose?" The blue eyes closed slowly as the other lied down beside Duo, taking a deep breath and stretching in a cat like manner.

"Later...we're supposed to work at your house today, right?" The violet eyed boy smiled gently and lied back down, pillowing his head in one arm as the other rested against his flat stomach.

"Yeah...my parents won't be home, though, so you either eat some of my poison or we can buy something" A low chuckle greeted him and the blue eyed man shrugged.

~Anything's fine...you are fine Duo~

Heero shook his head and chuckled, letting a small smile grace his face; he knew Duo was annoyed at him because he kept avoiding the 'inevitable talk' about that kiss...but he wasn't sure he wanted to talk about it at all. Sure, he was the one who started it, and he should be deliriously happy Duo wanted to talk about it...except he wasn't. He was nervous, worried, sad, happy, upset.

"Let's go grab a bite before we head home" He heard his braided companion let out as he stood up, cracking his shoulders before offering a hand to help Heero up. For what seemed like an eternity and a half, he just stared at him, taking in the soft, yet manly features framed by chestnut hair, his curly lashes almost caressing his cheeks as he looked down at him. "Heero?" The smile that never seemed no vanish, no matter how hard their assignment was, no matter how gray the skies looked beckoned him, trying hard to pull him in, to convince him this was a good idea. He'd thought about it before, but the reminder of what was happening to his mother held him back. He wanted to focus on the task of discovering J so he could tell the police...and yet...

~_Lend me your strength_~

"I've made up my mind" The blue eyed boy let out with such conviction he shocked even himself, and the man above him just rose an eyebrow.

"...So...you gonna tell me what that kiss was about?" Duo wasn't stupid, nor was he blind, the look Heero had given him was not normal. If he was honest, he had looked into the mirror while thinking about his blue eyed companion and he had the exact same look. However, Heero just smirked at him and took his hand, standing up a head taller than Duo.

"I'll think about it" He tucked a strand of hair behind the braided boy's ear and leaned in to kiss the exposed cheek, smiling charmingly at the confused face afterwards. "Let's go to your house to eat...I'm starving" Duo stood frozen for a while, staring at Heero as the young man bent down to pick up his things along with Duo's. "Ready?" He asked quietly, cocking his head to the side slightly as he looked at his companion. To some he would be picturing innocence right then, but to Duo he portrayed the devil himself. Glaring half-heartedly at him, he took his bag from him and started walking, muttering something about 'damned tease' under his breath. Heero couldn't stop a smirk from spreading on his face and he jogged to catch up with Duo, not turning to look at him when they were side by side.

"You know, you might as well just come out and say what's on your head. All this side stepping is making me dizzy" Duo said simply, his eyes glued to where they were walking, and he knew he was still blushing madly. He wasn't used to being hit on so boldly, that was if what Heero was doing could be called 'hitting on', his previous relationships were all discreet and a dirty little secret his boyfriends didn't want anyone to know. It felt good, really, to be the one on the receiving end of someone's affections and besides...he already knew what he felt towards Heero wasn't simple friendship.

"Meaning?" And then there was that attitude. Duo glared the rest of the way to his house and kept his mouth shut, huffing annoyed when he noticed Heero smirking. The damned tease! "You cooking?" His blue eyed companion asked when they walked the steps to the front door, looking up and down the street for who knows what. Duo shrugged and unlocked his door, not bothering to hold it open for Heero as he walked inside.

"Here, lock it." Grabbing both their bags, he jogged upstairs to his room and dropped them there, looking around absently minded. He was used to having Heero around his room, either working or asking about the various objects and pictures in there, however, he couldn't help but feel self-conscious this time around. Was it appropriate for them to be in a closed room together, in a house that would be empty save the two of them for as long as Heero was there? Would Heero try anything? And most of all, would Duo even care or try to stop him if he did? The violet eyed boy chuckled suddenly and shook his head. It wasn't like Heero was a rapist and would force him into something they were clearly not ready for...

~_Wait, the guy hasn't said anything yet!_~

And yet...that tender gesture when they were still in the court.

"Knock it off...don't rush anything" He told himself and turned to go back downstairs, only to collide hard with the guy who had been invading his musings no longer than 5 seconds ago. Heero took Duo by his forearms to steady him and he looked at him worriedly.

"You ok?"

"Um, yeah" Duo realized their bodies were touching and he blushed hard, swallowing thickly and looking up into his friends blue, blue eyes. That close, he could see a silvery around Heero's pupil, making his eyes incredibly ethereal and beckoning. "Heero, I―"

"Duo, this―" They started at the same time and they looked at each other startled, not even knowing when they had looked away. A chuckle broke from the braided youth and he blushed cutely, and Heero's face broke into a soft smile as he scratched the back of his head, finally letting go of him and stepping away. "I'm sorry" The blue eyed boy said simply and looked away, the smile still intact on his face. Duo leaned close to him to look into his eyes once more, his expression pretty much mirroring his friend's.

"Are you?" He asked in a whisper and his smile widened slightly. "What exactly are you feeling sorry for?" He lifted Heero's face by his chin, glad that, for once, it was the messy haired boy blushing and not himself. "Having met me? Working with me? Or could it be you're sorry because of that damn kiss?" Duo pushed himself against Heero's side, and brought the immobile guy's face to look at him with a careful hand. "Is that...it?" Petal-soft lips ghosted over Heero's and he groaned, closing his eyes as he leaned into Duo's touch. "I see...well two can play this game 'Ro" Suddenly, the warm body that had been flushing against his disappeared and his eyes snapped open, his head jerking around to find those slim hips swaying as the owner walked towards the stairs. Just as he took the first step, he looked over his shoulder, indigo eyes half hidden by coquettishly lowered, curly eyelashes. "You hungry?" Heero half growled when the braided fiend jogged all the way downstairs and to the kitchen, leaving him standing red-faced outside his room.

~_They say paybacks are a bitch_~

"I'm gonna kill whoever said that" He said out loud as he stalked his way after Duo.

TBC

Author's notes: Phew, it took so long to write this! I bet you noticed, I think it's been over a year since I last updated, I'm sorry u.u I'll try and finish this soon, it's just, I've got so many ideas it's hard to order them, and then put them to words ^^; I hope this chapter doesn't seem as forced as I think it does ; ; Reviews please? Thanks for reading! =D


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Usual disclaimer :) I don't own, I don't charge for this, I don't steal, etcetera :P

Warnings: Same old, shonen-ai. Violence, blood, angst, strong language, Relena bashing again (sorry, Relena lovers ^^; It'll stop soon).

Author's notes: Hullo :) finally got around writing this chapter, I had been working on a drawing and, while it's not finished yet, it's...acceptable XD. Anywho, here's the eighth chapter, enjoy and I'd be very grateful if you reviewed *bows down*

Unexpected Meetings

by Arakune Yoru

Chapter 8

"I'm gonna kill whoever said that" He said out loud as he stalked his way after Duo. Heero found the braided boy waiting for him in the kitchen, a serious look gracing his features; the blue eyed boy stopped in the doorway and crossed his arms, puzzled at the younger boy's seriousness. "...What is it?" He asked in his quiet voice, not daring to take his eyes off the tantalizing creature standing 2 metres away from him. Duo cocked his head slightly to the side and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

"Where do we stand, Heero?" He let out after a few moments of silence. "You've been avoiding this talk but...it's pretty obvious we're not indifferent to each other, so where does that leave us?" The taller of the two was taken aback by the sudden forwardness of his friend; sure, he himself hadn't been subtle when he kissed the violet eyed boy, but being confronted this way about how he felt towards Duo surprised him and, at the same time, rendered him speechless. A thin eyebrow rose slightly, but Duo kept otherwise quiet; he knew Heero, and he knew he would talk now that he had asked directly he did, however he also knew he should not rush him, or all he would get would be stony silence.

"I..." Heero finally looked down at his feet and swallowed thickly, blinking several times to try and calm down. "I...am not really sure." Duo flinched as if physically slapped, and he also looked away from his friend. "What you say...is true. I really like you but...I don't really know what to do from there." Lavender eyes looked up in time to see Heero run a trembling hand through chocolate locks of hair. "It's not like I don't *want* to do anything, I do but I..." Ashamed eyes looked into his and it was Duo's turn to lose his words. "I don't know how to...proceed. I've never been in a relationship before...not one that I wanted to be in anyway―"

"Wow, wow! Wait a minute, what do you mean?" Duo interrupted and took three steps toward Heero, standing close enough to see his features clearly but not invading his personal space. The golden face in front of him smiled slightly and Heero shrugged.

"Well, you've seen Relena, right?" A nod. "You've seen how obsessed she's with the whole idea of the two of us together, hm?" Another nod. "Well, she's not been the only one...in the past, at least two girls were like her, though they were bolder, they went as far as telling everyone we were a couple and they hung from my arm practically all day long" The sudden image of a woman attached to Heero's arm for an indefinite period of time confused Duo's brain to a degree where he didn't know whether to laugh at his friend's misery or be mad that he wasn't there to pry the girl's hands off of him. "So..." He was startled out of his mental debate and he looked up to find uncertain cobalt blue eyes looking intently into his. "What's next?" Duo felt a small chuckle erupt from his chest and he let it out, placing the back of his fingers against his cheek and rubbing gently, a warm blush stealing across his face.

"Well...we could date, if you'd like" A small, yet charming smile graced Heero's lips and he nodded once, walking close enough to Duo to reach up and take his hand from his face. He could feel the thin fingers trembling in his as he brought them to his own face and kissed the back gently, never taking his eyes from the violet orbs mere centimetres from his. Duo didn't pull back, if anything he just blushed harder and lowered his face slightly, trying in vain to hide the happy smile he knew he was sporting.

"That all?" Came a quiet whisper as Heero wrapped his free arm around Duo's waist, pushing the slender form against his gently so as to not startle Duo or himself. With careful fingers, he brought the reddened face closer to his, lips ghosting against the other's "I was thinking, maybe we could carry on from where we left off" Duo closed his eyes when he felt Heero's lips caressing his lips as he whispered, and he buried shaking hands into the mop of straight hair to bring their lips together in a slow kiss, sighing as he felt Heero wrap both arms more firmly around him. For minutes, they stood in the middle of Duo's mother's kitchen, getting used to the feeling of their lips moving across each other's in a slow dance of caresses, before they parted away slowly, Duo's lower lips slipping from between Heero's. Duo untangled his left hand from the incredibly soft chocolate hair to caress Heero's cheek and jaw gently, their slightly agitated breaths mingled and glassy eyes looked into the other's flushed face, even as the taller of the two leaned against the slightly calloused palm. After his heart rate slowed and his breath evened, Duo smiled at the blue eyed youth and shook his head slightly.

"This is way better then just dating..." Heero chuckled and pecked him on the lips before stepping back slightly, once again tucking a stray strand of chestnut hair behind Duo's ear.

"Still, I like the whole dating idea. Since it's Friday, how about we eat out and just wander about town?" Duo's smile widened into a grin and he nodded enthusiastically.

"I'll just go get a jacket, I'll be right back!" He ran upstairs all the way to his room, grabbing the first jacket he found in his closet and then stopped in dead in his tracks when he realized he was acting like a fifteen year old girl would. He took a calming breath but failed to erase the silly grin from his face; who was he trying to fool? He was really excited about going out with Heero, even if they were in the first stage of a relationship that could fail even when they more or less knew each other already.

~_Not very nice thoughts, you know?_~

He agreed with the tiny voice in his head and walked back downstairs, finding Heero waiting for him at the door. He took that moment to stare at him unabashedly and slowly, smiling as the blue eyed boy rose an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side questioningly. Even if it was doomed to fail, even if it ended up getting them nowhere, he was going to give it his utmost, he was going to try and keep what they had now, because he could not stop the warm feeling spreading through his chest whenever he looked at his quiet companion, and he was certain he did not want to lose that.

Monday could not come fast enough for Duo. He and Heero had decided not to go out during the weekend, but they would phone each other whenever they felt like it. When they did, their conversations started rather awkward, but once they started talking about their school projects, they would relax and talk about pretty much anything that popped in their heads, from what music they fancied to what food they despised. Duo avoided talking about Heero's mother though, even if he wanted to know what was wrong with her and if he needed any help, he knew his blue eyed companion was pretty uncomfortable about it, and that he would shy away and just stay quiet.

"Aren't you staying here today, kid?" He heard the bus driver ask him and he shook his head, looking up to find they were already at uni. He smiled apologetically at the lady and nodded, gathering his stuff quickly to hop off the bus; unconsciously he looked around, hoping to find a pair of blue eyes looking at him but was disappointed. He walked slowly towards the main building, his thoughts circling about his missing companion; he hoped this stage would not last long, he was not able to focus lately because of Heero, thinking about him always split his face into a silly smile, and his knees felt as jelly.

"Morning" Came the husky whisper from his left and he almost jumped out of his skin, looking towards the source of the deep voice. Amused blue eyes looked back at him and a tiny smile greeted him, making him chuckle nervously.

"You know, you could've told me you were there" A chocolate eyebrow rose slightly and Heero cocked his head to the side.

"I thought 'morning' would do the work. You seem rather distracted today though, you ok?" The teasing smile told Duo the blue eyed monster knew he was thinking about him and he could only sigh half-annoyed.

"I'm just peachy" As they walked towards the classroom, Duo could see dozens of students stopping their banter to stare openly at them, some letting their mouths fall open and some others smirking at them. The violet eyed boy felt a warm squeeze in his hand and looked at Heero, finding a worried frown on his face.

"You sure you're ok?"

"Yeah..." He realized with a start, that the gentle squeeze had came from Heero's own hand, which had his in a loose hold, and then it made sense why they were being stared at. Duo looked down at his feet and wondered why he had not thought about this before; gay couples were still frowned at, and since they were in a public university, it was more likely they would be rejected and possibly teased because of their new found relationship. He thought of releasing Heero's hand and walk as if nothing had changed, however, wasn't that what he hated about his former boyfriends? How they always wanted to hide what they were? He shook his head and shrugged mentally, thinking it would be best to just go on holding hands and talking with Heero about this later.

"Heero?" They both heard a shriek and the blue eyed youth sighed, turning bored eyes to the source of the annoying noise.

"Yes?" Shocked ice blue eyes stared at him as a manicured hand covered a pink mouth.

"What are you doing? Duo, get your hands off him, you...you fag!" The corridor turned dead silent and the violet eyed boy could feel everyone's eyes on them again.

~_Just gorgeous, Relena_~

"Beg you pardon, Your Highness? Such profane language." The blonde girl glared heatedly at him and she walked near him, drawing her arm back to slap him only to be stopped by a surprisingly gentle hand around her wrist.

"What...?" Calm Prusian blue eyes stared into hers and Heero released her, shaking his head slightly.

"Aw, what a touching moment." Duo immediately tensed and looked at the crowd as it opened up to reveal Patrick, sighing inwardly.

"I thought we had already dealt with you, ass hole" The redhead smirked down at him, drawing a knife from his back pocket.

"Wha-? Pat, this is too much! What are you doing?" One of the gang cried and stepped back when his leader walked towards the couple, his smirk widening when Heero stepped in front of Duo to shield him.

"Too much? Isn't being gay too much as well? Isn't public display **too much**?"

"Why don't you mind your own business? It's got nothing to do with you. " Heero said calmly, even when he kept stormy eyes glued to the knife.

"Oh but it does, doesn't it 'Lena?" The blonde girl had paled visibly and was shaking her head while she walked cautiously to Patrick.

"Please...don't do this, don't hurt Heero" She turned teary eyes toward the messy haired boy and she smiled slightly, her eyes turning determined as she tried to convince the bully to stop.

"Why not? Just looking at him makes me nauseous! Don't you feel the same when you look at that braided queer?" Duo bared his teeth and launched himself at the massive football player, effectively latching his arm around his neck and pulling back with all his might, the knife falling noisily to the ground as they kept wrestling.

"He-Heero! Take the knife!" The crowd had opened to give them space, but some kept close enough to see what happened, some others cheered for them to go on fighting, and the last group scattered away. Heero ran towards the struggling pair to try and help his boyfriend, only to find himself held back by two pairs of arms, he looked up in time to see Patrick throwing Duo over his shoulder and the thin youth landing rather ungracefully on his back, hitting his head on the ground when he did.

"I had hoped to use this on that boyfriend of yours first but I guess you'll have to do" Heero struggled madly and managed to throw one of his holders off balance enough to kick him away from him.

~_Dammit! I won't make it in time!_~

Turning frustrated eyes toward Duo, his brows shot to his hairline when he saw Relena latching herself onto Patrick's arm holding the knife.

"Stop it!" She cried at the top of her lungs, but the huge youth shook his arm wildly until she was thrown against a wall, sliding to the ground as she clutched the back of her head.

"Don't try and stop me! I can't forgive these faggots!" Heero saw a demented look in Patrick's eyes and panicked, watching in slow motion as he stalked his way with the knife drawn back to where Duo was trying to stand up using the wall as support. "For Relena...and for myself!" The braided boy closed his eyes and, even when he was still seeing stars, braced himself for the descending knife. Something heavy knocked him from his feet and he opened his eyes slowly, trying hard to focus on whatever had fell on top of him. The first thing he saw were a pair of blue eyes staring worriedly into his.

"...Are you ok?" Came the strained voice and he frowned confusedly.

"I...think so..." Heero smiled slightly and a thin trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth.

"I'm...I'm so glad...Duo..." Blue orbs slid closed and Heero slumped forward on Duo's chest, only then did the violet eyed boy notice the knife's handle protruding from Heero's side.

"Heero?" Duo called out weakly, trying to straighten with Heero's dead weight pushing him down. He started to panick when his boyfriend's eyes did not open and he shook his shoulders as hard as he could with his head pounding wildly. "Heero! Open your eyes! Heero!"

TBC

Review please? ^^


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